Freedom of Expression Tracker: Threatened

Lesotho Times journalist goes into exile

Incident Ref:

LS1907/16-4709

Incident category:

threatened

Date of incident:

19 July 2016

Perpetrator / Facilitator:

Government Official

Keiso and Lloyd were summoned by police for questioning about an article in the newspaper’s June 23 edition, about the alleged ‘exit strategy’ for current Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) Commander Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli.

Further, on July 5, 2016, the newspaper’s publisher Basildon Peta was charged with criminal defamation and crimen injuria in connection with a satirical article about Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli – also published in the 23 June edition of the paper. The case is to be heard before the Lesotho Court today, July 19, 2016.

MISA Lesotho has since appealed to the government of Lesotho to launch a prompt, independent and impartial investigation into the shooting of Mutungamiri, the outcome of which should be made public to enable informed decision making by the people of Lesotho and the world, particularly in the very polarised and politically volatile situation in the country.

Ends/

MISA is a regional non-governmental organisation with members in 11 of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries. Officially launched in September 1992, MISA focuses primarily on the need to promote free, independent and pluralistic media, as envisaged in the 1991 Windhoek Declaration.